Monday, April 26, 2010

Bowls for my friend Joan in Baltimore if she likes them. $6 each and freight and handling. Yes, I saved these for you and did not sell them at the herb festivals. Bright colors to welcome spring.

Not just another snake in the grass #1, 6x6 inch tile with 3d snake. $25

Not just another snake in the grass #2, 6x6 stoneware tile $25

Not just another snake in the grass #3, 6x6" stoneware, $25

I never meant to ignore my blog for this long. I just completed three herb festivals in a row and have been working like it was Christmas. The only way to get it all done was to put in 12 hour days and just suck it up and get through it. Now is the time for readjustment. I can get so used to severe pressure to get all my work complete that it takes time to readjust to having a life. It is just the way it is.Why do three herb festivals in a row? Because I am an artist trying to survive in a tough economy and I try to think of creative ways to "stay out there" in the public's eye. I really do like my new studio that I have been in for a year and a half now. Did not think I could say that again after grinning and bearing for a tough winter with no real heat. When your studio averages 47 degrees for a long time, well, it just isn't that much fun. Even a sense of adventure is sometimes not enough.

The Snake in the Grass series was just for fun. I did not take them to the herb shows because I wanted to see them for a bit. One of my students made snakes in class the other night and I must confess, I liked the idea. Even though I have a master's degree a part of me just had to join her. My first idea was to sell them in the festivals to kids to paint. But guess what? I wanted to paint them. And I found out with only one day's notice the date of the 5x5 and thought I might try this as a quick and fun idea. Well, they are 6x6 and I would have to race to the gallery to get them there after the herb festival and I was not convinced anyone would pay $55 for one, so I kept them. And what a fun idea! Can you imagine these mounted in a new tile wall just every now and then. What a conversation started and alternative tile wall they would make. I saw in my sister in laws house in Austin TX a similar idea. Just metal lizards that appeared to be climbing the wall. So, why not stick them on a bright and fun tile and mount them permanently. I am not finished with this idea. There are more complex ones in the kiln firing as I write.

In the decent weather my studio has the feel of Taos about 30 years ago. I remember meandering down dirt drives into interesting little spice shops, kite shops and funky galleries. It is a bit out of sight and out of mind but people who find me, want me and usually buy something.

So now what? It is change of pace time. I am getting to be a bit dull having lost a well rounded personality to hard work. Luckily my husband can keep himself occupied and usually doesn't seem to notice if I am not there much. "Ricky, I'm home. Ricky?"

Now it is a pleasure to start my show pots. In order to make any money in little shows in Tulsa I have to make a lot of pottery that people will buy spontaneously. It can nearly wear an artist's soul out, especially one who has been doing it for about 40 years. But alas, I survived the rain, the wind and the grit flying all over me to come out fighting again. I just want to make upper end items now. And, by continuing to teach in my shop and for Roger's State as well, I can now afford the time to make my best work. I still have plenty of funny little special orders to complete as well.

Now I should have time to exercise, cook a little healthy food and maybe even read. No more hitting the pillow and immediately passing out. As Paul Fink, a historian in Jonesboro Tennessee, in a "rest" home had on his door, "It is hell to grow old." I mentioned this to him as we hiked across Tennessee and stopped to talk to him and his response was, "Little lady, you don't know half of it." Well Paul, you are gone now and I still remember those words and I get it now. But, I am not going down easily, just gracefully. What else could you ask for?Now I can focus on getting some photos of pots posted on my blog and special orders in the mail to friends.

And I am back to write as well.Balance it is back to that "balance" thing again.

Friday, April 2, 2010

I was thrilled to be asked to create 4 rubbing stones for the Philbrook Museum. They are placed in the garden and students find them near the original artwork and create rubbings on paper using my stones. I was told what told which four places in the garden these were to be based upon. They chose the waterfall, Eric's tree, the metal tree and the lion gate. Here are the results.

About Me

Brookside Pottery started in Tulsa in 1991. It is a working pottery studio with stoneware sculpture and dinnerware, clay glazes tools and equipment.
I have been making pottery and sculpture for over 35 years. In 1978 I finished my master's degree in ceramics from the University of Tennessee. I taught art at Webb middle school. I moved to Emory Va where I started Meadowview Pottery Workshop and taught part time at Emory and Henry College.My husband John and I moved to Austin Texas for his PHD and I worked at pottery shop Feats of Clay for 4 1/2 years. We moved to Norman OK for two years. Tulsa was our next move and I started Brookside Pottery about 18 years ago. I have studied with many significant potters across the nation including Fawn Navasie, Richard Zaken, Sylvia Hyman, Josh Deweiss, Hal Reiger and more. I have shown in McClung Museum,
Knoxville a couple of times, won various sculpture awards and most recently featured in 25 potters in Ok in Studio Potter magazine. I love raising my family and going to the movies with my husband. And, if I am not home I can only hope I am traveling in some exotic place and writing.